Opposed roll crusher with feed means



June 1, 1948. I M. s. 'GROH 2,442,740

OPPOSED ROLL CRUSHER WITH FEED MEAfiS Filed Oct. 28, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheetl v v INVENTEIR M5, E-RU H,

Patented June 1, 1948 OPPOSED ROLL CRUSHER WITH FEED llIEANS Melvin S.Groh, Preston, Ontario, Canada In Canada December 24, 1942 ApplicationOctober 28, 1944, Serial No. 560,747

4 Claims.

This invention relates to crushing mechanism particularly for grain andcereals.

Crushers for' grain and cereals including a pair of rotating rollsbetween which the material to be crushed is fed have been used for aconsiderable period of time. These structures usually involve drivenrolls and therefore require considerable construction including geartrains and usually require mechanically driven feeding devices. Thus,such structures involve a considerable number of parts with acorresponding cost, whereas it is possible to produce a crusher whichwill efliciently meet requirements while providing a much simplermechanism and at lower cost.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide asimplified type of grain or cereal crusher wherein the parts are few andthe crushing operation is effected between rolls, one of which is.driven through the medium of the material being crushed.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a construction ofthis kind in which the grain is fed from a hopper disposed in closeproximity to the surface of one of the rolls, the latter forming theagitating means for feeding the grain or material into the crusher incombination with a simple shut-off device, thus controlling the grainflow by a simplified combination.

With these and other objects in view, the invention generally comprisesa crusher for grain, cereal or the like including a casing having aninlet opening, a pair of crusher rolls rotatably mounted in the casingin parallel relation to one another, means for driving one of saidrolls, the other being an idler, the mechanism including manuallyoperable means for causing rotation of the idler roll, while thematerial to be crushed fed through said inlet opening forms a frictiondriving medium for continuing the rotation of the idler roll through therotation of the driven roll. It also includes such features as thepositiom'ng of the inlet opening directly above and in close proximityto the driven roll and a sliding valve for controlling the size of theinlet opening and cooperating with the driven roll which in combinationwith the sliding valve forms a means for agitating and controlling theflow of the material into the crusher. A simple form of spreading meansis also included for uniformly distributing the material to the rolls.

The invention will be clearly understood by reference to the followingdetailed specification taken in conjunction with the acCqmpanyingdrawings.

In the drawings Fig. l is a longitudinal section taken through a crusheraccording to the present invention and showing the general arrangementof parts.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the spreader used in conjunction withthe crushing rolls.

Fig. 4 is a detailed view partly in section of the valve or damper usedfor controlling the amount of material fed to the crushing rolls; and

Figs. 5 and. 6 are perspective details of the two essential parts of thevalve and operating means therefor.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates the crusher as a whole having asuitable casing Iii supported in any suitable Way and fed from a hopperII through an inlet opening I2. Within the casing are mounted twocrushing rolls B and C carried on the shafts l3 and M respectively,suitably journalled in the frame on ball bearing races I5 so that theywill rotate very readily. The roll B is a driven roll driven by anysuitable means such as a driving belt H. The roller C is an idler rollspaced slightly from the driven roll B and normally urged towards thedriven roll by spring means such as the leaf spring l8 pressing againstthe shoes or slides I9 which may be disposed in a suitable guideway 26(see Fig. '1), the shoes or slides pressing against the journalled boxesof the shaft I4. The spring [8 is placed under compression by anysuitable adjusting means such as a screw 2| threaded through a wall ofthe casing. As noted the mounting is such that the rolls are slightlyspaced apart as heretofore mentioned and the idler roll C may beretracted from the roll B to a limited extent coinciding with thespacing between the casing and the shaft journals. The driven roll Blikewise may be adjusted to and away from the idler roll by suitablemeans such as the screw threaded bolts 22 threaded in the casing Ill.

The shaft I4 of the idler roll carries on one end a manually operablemember 23. This is employed for starting purposes and as the roll B isrotated by its power drive and material to be crushed is fed to therolls, the manually operable member 23 may be rotated in oppositedirection to the roll B and the material passing between these rollsforms a frictional means for then causing rotation of the idler roll Cby means of the driven roll B. The ball bearings permit ready manualrotation of roll C and this roll will then be caused to be driven at thesame speed as the roll B after the frictional connection between the twoby means of the material being crushed.

In contra distinction to the use of rotary agitators or specialagitating means for assuring that the materiaLto be crushed is fedbetween the rolls efficiently, I mount the hopper H directly above thedriven roll B and spaced in relatively close proximity thereto. In thatopening a forwardly inclined baflle or guide 24 is disposed to guide thematerial towards the center point of the roll and the roll, therefore,forms a means of agitating the material in combination with a slidevalve or damper 25 which is mounted on the frame and designed to closeoif the inlet opening from the roll B where desired. Thus the roll Bforms the agitating means and is designed to feed a greater or lesserquantity of material to be ground according to the positioning of theslide valve or damper 25.

The slide valve is designed to be slid longitudinally of the machinetowards and away from the guide plate 24. This may be accomplished byany suitable means, that illustrated in the present embodiment of mydevelopment taking the form of a recess 26 in part of the valve ordamper, along one side of which is a toothed rack 21, the recess beingdesigned to receive the quadrant gear 28 projecting from the operatingmember 29, the gear engaging the rack and causing sliding movement ofthe valve or damper upon rotation of the operating member 29.

The slide valve 25 is tapered and downwardly inclined as at 30 so as tomeet the lower end of the guide plate 24 at the upper periphery of theroller B and provides an opening of progressively increased size uponrotation of the operating member 29 to the desired extent. Thus, Iprovide a simple means of control of the feed and agitation of thematerial as it passes to the rolls.

In order to distribute the material uniformly along the length of therolls B and C, I provide a spreader 3| best seen in Fig. 3 which isformed to provide a spreader face 32 which has an apex 33, the surface32 gradually receding outwardly and rearwardly from the apex at itscenter to have a plough-like effect in the stream of material being fedto the rollers so that the surface at the outside of the rolls will befed with a substantially corresponding amount as is fed at the middle ofthe rolls. The spreader 3! is carried in any suitable supports such asthe side brackets 34.

In operation, roll B is driven by its power me dium. Roll C is thencaused to rotate manually in the opposite direction by rotation of themanually operating member 23. Grain or other material is fed from thehopper ll through the inlet opening 12 and as it passes between therolls B and 0 forms a frictional drive medium between the rolls so thatthe idler roll C is brought up to the speed of the driven roll B andcontinues to operate accordingly throughout the crushing operation.

The grain passing through the inlet I2 is agitated by the driven roll Band fed in quantity between the rolls in accordance with the adjustmentof the slide damper 25. It is likewise fed in a uniform manner to therolls by reason of the spreader 3| which distributes it along the lengthof the rolls.

By this simple mechanism I am able efficiently to crush material andeliminate such previous necessities as mechanical agitators and specialgearing for driving both crusher rolls. Accord ingly I am able toproduce a simplified efficient machine economically.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A crusher for grains, cereal or the like comprising a casing havingan inlet opening, a pair of crusher rolls rotatably mounted in thecasing in parallel relation to one another, means for driving one ofsaid rolls, the other being an idler, manually operable means forcausing rotation of the idler roll, the material to be crushed fedthrough said inlet opening forming a friction drive medium forcontinuing the rotation of the idler roll through the rotation of thedriven roll, said inlet opening being disposed directly above the drivenroll and spaced in close proximity thereto, a slide valve controllingthe inlet opening and having its free edge disposed towards the drivenroll and adjustable with respect thereto, said driving roll and slidevalve forming a means for agitating the material in the inlet openingand for controlling the flow of said material, and a spreading memberdisposed between said rolls below said valve and having inclinedsurfaces designed to guide and spread the infiowing material along thelength of said rolls.

2. A crusher for grain, cereal or the like comprising a casing having aninlet opening, a pair of crusher rolls rotatably mounted in the casingin parallel relation to one another, means for driving said rolls, saidinlet opening being disposed directly above one of said rolls, andspaced in close proximity, a slide valve for controlling the inletopening having its free edge disposed towards said latter roll, saidslide valve and said latter roll forming ameans of agitating andcontrolling the flow of material into the crusher, a spreader memberdisposed between said rolls below said slide valve, said spreader havingrearwardly inclined surfaces diverging from an apex position adjacent tothe middle of said latter roll for uniformly directing the materialacross the length of said rolls.

3. A crusher for grain, cereal or the like comprising a casing having aninlet opening, a pair of crusher rolls rotatably mounted in the casingin parallel relation to one another, means for driving said rolls, saidinlet opening being disposed directly above one of said rolls, andspaced in close proximity, a slide valve for controlling the inletopening having its free edge disposed towards said latter roll, saidslide valve and said latter roll forming a means of agitating andcontrolling the flow of material into the crusher, a spreader memberdisposed between said rolls below said slide valve, said spreader havingrearwardly inclined surfaces diverging from an apex position adjacent tothe middle of saidelatter roll for uniformly directing the materialacross the length of said rolls, said grain, cereal or the like afterbeing fed through said inlet opening, forming a friction drive mediumfor continuing the rotation of the idler roll through the rotation ofthe driven roll.

4. A crusher for grains, cereal or the like comprising a casing havingan inlet opening, a pair of crusher rolls rotatably mounted in thecasing in parallel relation to one another, means for driving one ofsaid rolls, the other being an idler, manually operable means forcausing rotation of the idler roll, the material to be crushed fedthrough said inlet opening forming a friction drive medium forcontinuing the rotation of the idler roll through the rotation of thedriven roll, said inlet opening being disposed directly above the drivenroll and spaced in close proximity 5 6 thereto, a slide valvecontrolling the inlet opena ing and having its free edge disposed tREFERENCES CITED th d i 11 and dj -eg B ith respec :ollovving referencesare of record in the to, said driving roll and .;.ide valve forming .lispatent: means for agitating the material in the i 9 UNITED STATESPATENTS opening and for controlling the flow of said material, and aspreading member disposed between Number Name Date rolls below saidvalve and having inclined 245353 Duvau 9, 1331 surfaces designed toguide and spread the in- 439,596 Howell 23, 1390, flowing material alongthe length of said rolls, 10 326,140 Bryant July 1903 the material to becrushed fed through said inlet 1314:3533 azee 9, 1912 opening forming afriction drive medium for con- 1,065,993 Bernhard July 1913 tinuing therotation of the idler roll through the FOREIGN PATENTS rotation of thedriven roll, and means for yieldably urging the idler roll in thedirection of the 15 driven roll to maintain frictional driving connec-3%;: g f June tion with the latter while permitting said idler Tea a 7you to yield 4,061 Great Britain 1883 MELVIN S. GROH.

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